1

Developing a Whole School Genre Map

Slide 2: The Australian Curriculum

The social view of language underpinning the Australian Curriculum identifies that language use varies according to the context and situation in which it is used - including different learning areas.

There are significant differences in the way different learning areas structure texts and in the language features and vocabulary that students are required to know and use.

(AC Literacy Capability)

Slide 3: School Genres

School genres (or types of text) evolve from learning area curriculum and assessment

The genres students comprehend and compose in school are increasingly multimodal - they include visual, spoken and/or written language

As students progress through school the genres students are expected to comprehend and compose become more complex and, in the secondary years, are increasingly macro-genres.

Slide 4: Why Teach Genre?

 

When students understand how language works in different contexts they can: be more confident that they understand the

purpose and structure of the texts they comprehend and compose in the different learning areas, particularly for assessment purposes

make more informed literacy choices more effectively meet curriculum standards

55

5

Observation recount

Personal recounts of shared events

Recounts of significant personal experiences

Simple autobiography

More complex historical recounts

Biographies of famous people

Memoirs both imaginative and actual

Simple procedure of everyday process

Simple procedure to make something tangible

Procedural recount

More detailed and technical procedure

Procedure with two fields

Procedure involving more abstract phenomena

‘Hard news’ recounts,

Simple labelling of common objects

Simple classifying or compositional reports on a common living or non-

living things

More detailed, technical reports

More detailed description of familiar people, places or objects

Simple descriptive report on a common animal, product or cultural

artefact

Highly technical and detailed reports as part of a macro- genre

Complex description of a person, character or cultural object or

phenomena

Simple comparative reports

Simple protocols

Simple historical recounts

Recounts of significant events

Procedure as part of a

macro-genre

Recount as part of a

macro-genre

Report as part of a

macro-genre

Topographic procedure in tourist guides and promotional material

RECOUNTING INSTRUCTING DESCRIBING & ORGANISING

Early

Yea

rs

Mid

dle

Year

s

Seco

ndar

y Ye

ars

From How Language Works: success in literacy and learning course 2010, module 1

66

6

Simple factorial and consequential explanations

Sequential explanation of un-observable phenomena

More complex factorial and consequential explanations

Causal explanations with complex chains of causality

Sequential explanation of a concrete, observable process

Simple causal explanation of concrete phenomena

More complex historical accounts

Simple historical account

Theoretical explanation

Listening to and reading of a range of narratives

More complex narratives using less conventional plots and themes

Simple narratives with predictable staging

Interpreting the message of longer more detailed narratives that deal with

universal themes

Personal responses to more complex narratives

Reviewing a culturally significant narrative

Critical response to a culturally significant narrative

Simple argument—discussion on issue of immediate interest

Arguments-discussions in the media including letters to the editor, editorials and feature articles

Simple arguments—discussions that deal with issues of community

concern

Arguments—discussions that deal with broader issues of national and

international interest

Formal debate on relevant national and international issues

Complex argument—discussion dealing with significant issues and

themes

Simple formal debate on issues of community concern

Re-telling of well known narratives

Explanation as part of a simple macro-genre

Explanation as part of a more

complex macro-genre

Complex argument—discussion as part of a macro-

genre

Simple argument—discussion as part of a macro-genre

EXPLAINING NARRATING & REACTING ARGUING

Early

Yea

rs

Mid

dle

Year

s

Seco

ndar

y Ye

ars

From How Language Works: success in literacy and learning course 2010, module 1

Slide 7: Activity 1

1. Form groups: Primary School: participants from a range

of sequential year levels Secondary School: participants grouped in

learning areas

2. Individually list genres you teach

3. Share with your group

4. Develop an agreed summary of genres on the genre templates provided

8

Slide: 8

9

Slide: 9

10

Slide: 10

Slide 11 : Activity 2

Use the blank templates provided to develop a genre map for your level of schooling of schooling/ learning area

Some additional resources/examples are also provided

Developing a draft school genre map

Slide 12 : Revision of Key Ideas

A school genre map is a useful tool to ensure that genres are :

taught explicitly and systematically integrated into the relevant learning areas

Teachers need to understand the language demands of the genres

Slide 13 : Revision of Key Ideas

• In the In the context of curriculum requirements:•

a range of school genres can be identified with each genre having a particular purpose

each learning area values particular genres which are commonly key texts students compose for assessment

each genre family increases in complexity through the years of schooling

in the secondary years assessment genres become increasingly complex and are commonly macrogenres

Slide 14: Next Steps

• What is the process for:

finalising the school genre map?

ensuring that teachers have the opportunity and support to: deepen their knowledge of the language and

visual demands of the genres? ensure explicit and systematic teaching of

these demands?